Protective footwear used for practice fighting can include a thick sheet of foam. However, it is generally desirable to cover the foam with cloth to avoid damage to the foam. One problem is that it is difficult to use a cloth to protect the region of the instep of the foot which may be bent at a large angle, without using an elastic cloth that would resist bending of the foot.
It is desirable to construct protective boots so that they protect not only the leg and ankle of the wearer but also protect the front and back of his foot. If both the front and back are to be protected, it usually would require that a manufacturer make a number of different sizes of protective boots to fit wearers with different lengths of feet. A protective boot of the type which used thick sheets of elastic foam for protection, while providing protection for the foam in an attractive boot, and while also providing a boot arrangement that can fit person with a range of foot lengths, would be useful in the furnishing of protection for the practicing of certain types of fighting.